I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 1807 (Portland) – 1882 (Cambridge)



I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along th'unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:
'There is no peace on earth, ' I said
'For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.'

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
'God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.'

Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 24, 2023

43 sec read
891

Quick analysis:

Scheme aaxB ccdB eedB ffxb aaxB
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 731
Words 148
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline. more…

All Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poems | Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Books

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    "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/18636/i-heard-the-bells-on-christmas-day>.

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